Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database • Hacker News Board

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#191

Post by crumpled » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:38 AM UTC

throwawaythekey wrote: post #131

bergstromm466 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would DNA have anything to do with crime?

I am not an expect, but it seems like DNA is responsible for around 50% of the personality variance between individuals. Note that the variance within groups is an order of magnitude bigger than the variance across groups, so there aren't super strong ties to race. I would imagine personality and/or propensity to mental illness or addiction are decent predictors of likelihood to commit crime. See this podcast for an…

That sounds like "predictive policing". The problem is that the institution that wants to predict crime might be inclined to use attributes of people who were previously arrested/convicted as the basis for the predictive model.

They won't be watching out for you based on personality disorders, addiction, or any other reasonable indicator. They'll watch out for you because you have attributes that match the type of people in jail right now. It's not going to be indicative of criminal behavior.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#192

Post by crumpled » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:45 AM UTC

moltar wrote: post #154

That’s why I bought the tests on Amazon on Father’s Day sale. Then used completely fake info and fake email to register on the testing company site. Totally anonymous as there’s no way to link the purchase to results.

Eventually that data will become associated with your real identities. How could it not? you're obviously so-and-so's grandfather/first-cousin/whatever, and they gave their names.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#193

Post by kmonsen » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:47 AM UTC

riffraff wrote: post #176

tzs wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That leads to my afterlife nightmare scenario. I die bravely in glorious battle and am chosen by the Valkyries for Valhalla. One evening as we feast after that day's fighting, quaffing giant tankards of mead and boasting of our deeds, there comes a knock at the door. Two young men in suits enter, and go to speak to Odin. Odin then call for me to come over. He tells me that the young men are Mormons, and that some dis…

I believe the "if you live a good life you go to heaven" is a common tenet of many Christian denominations since the Vatican Council. At least, I recall my religion teacher (a catholic priest, we have such a class in public schools in Italy tho they vary in content and quality) telling us that some decades ago. You do not go to heaven if you're an atheist tho, as _denying_ there is something divine puts you in the ba…

I mean does it really matter what the church says? The important part is what God actually thinks here and that seems to be very different depending on who you ask.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#194

Post by qserasera » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:49 AM UTC

I wonder if we're getting close to being able to synthesize a DNA profile and fool most of the labwork being done.

Most DNA profiles are SNP's and they wont be enough to 'clone' a DNA sample.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#195

Post by kmonsen » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:51 AM UTC

Thorrez wrote: post #189

perl4ever wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like taking offense at this is not worth it. If they sincerely believe they are saving souls, and you don't, then it shouldn't mean anything to you. Baptizing the dead seems silly and quaint, but Christians used to ask, how is it fair to send the unbaptized to hell that never had a chance to be saved? Mormons should get some credit for acknowledging the unfairness and coming up with a "solution". I think it's…

>I think it's a sad commentary on human nature that the Christian sects that don't believe anyone goes to hell at all are even more fringe and taken less seriously than Mormons. One reason they might not be taken seriously is that in the Bible Jesus directly talks about people being in Hell.

I don't think that is true, see for example: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/31/824479587/heaven-and-hell-are...

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#196

Post by ivalm » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:52 AM UTC

jeffbee wrote: post #142

throwawayDNA wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine the BLM protests (since that will probably be popular with the HN crowd). There’s video footage of a guy in a mask spitting on the ground after throwing a rock. He’s wearing a mask. His second cousin did 23 and me. Actually, statistically many of his second cousins did 23 and me. Therefore we know who he is. If only one second cousin did 23 and me, we’ve narrowed the suspects to, perhaps, a few hundred. Filte…

Didn't understand your point. Identifying specific individuals is not the same thing as mass surveillance.

But it IS a qualitatively new mode of surveillance that can’t exist without large databases.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#197

Post by qertoip » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 5:56 AM UTC

Self-hosted genome sequencing when?

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#198

Post by evilsetg » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 6:02 AM UTC

perl4ever wrote: post #128

edbaskerville wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There has been a bit of that. Although it is officially against church policy, some Mormons have baptized some deceased Jews, including Anne Frank: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/us/jews-take-issue-with-p...

I feel like taking offense at this is not worth it. If they sincerely believe they are saving souls, and you don't, then it shouldn't mean anything to you. Baptizing the dead seems silly and quaint, but Christians used to ask, how is it fair to send the unbaptized to hell that never had a chance to be saved? Mormons should get some credit for acknowledging the unfairness and coming up with a "solution". I think it's…

I grew up with evangelical christian teaching (one of the 2 big christian Churches in northern Germany) and as far as I understood in their version nobody goes to hell.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#199

Post by jacquesm » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 6:03 AM UTC

And half the DNA of all of the siblings and parents of the people that submitted their DNA, a quarter of their grandparents and grandchildren and so on. That's what I really hate about these companies, they get people to submit their DNA and the customers do not realize it isn't a decision that affects just them.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#200

Post by jacquesm » Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 6:05 AM UTC

js2 wrote: post #165

Trasmatta wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what they're trying to do. In Mormon theology everyone who dies without a chance to be baptized must be given a proxy baptism by someone living, so they have a chance to accept the gospel in the afterlife. The goal is that this will eventually happen for everyone who ever lived. (Source: former Mormon.)

I’m a Jewish atheist and the first time a couple Mormons knocked on my door and explained proxy baptism to me my first reaction was to be taken aback. But hey, may as well cover all my bases right?

Pascal's wager-by-proxy.